Method of making sheet metal vehicle doors



April 23, 1940. c. H. WIDMAN METHOD OF MAKING SHEET METAL VEHICLE DOORS Filed Jan. 24, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheext l INVENTOR CHARLES H. WIDMAN BY c. H. WWWW AN 2,198,069 MAKING SHEET METAL v HICLE DooRs April 23, 1940. Q H W|DMAN v 2,198,069

METHOD OF MAKING SHEET METAL VEHICLE DOORS Filed Jan. 24, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

CHARLES H. WOMAN ATTORNEYS.

Patented Apr. 23, 1940 l y UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE METHOD OF MAKING SHEET METAL VEHICLE DOORS Charles H. Widman, Detroit, Mich., assignor to The Murray Corporation .of America, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of vDelaware Application January 24, 1938, Serial No. 186,560 y 5 claims. (ci. 11s- 116)Y This invention relates to a method of making trated in the patent to Charles H. Widman No. sheet metal vehicle doors. 1,996,601 issued April 2, 1935, and assigned to One of the primary objects of the present inthe present assignee. The patent discloses a vention is to provide a novel sheet metal door door constructed of independent upper and lower construction by. a novel method of manufacture portions inwhich the lower portion is in the form 5f which results in a substantial saving of material of abox section with the top edge forming the over methods heretofore known. ledge of ,a window opening. The upper portion A further object of the invention is to provide comprises a rolled strip in the form of an inverted a novel ,method of manufacturing vehicle door U which is secured to the lower portion to form l" constructions by which certain expensive die the upper sides and top of the door and to dene r1504V operations are dispensed with, thereby materially the window opening. reducing the cost ofthe door construction. In the structure of the present invention the A further object of the present invention-is to lower portion of the door is formed of mating, provide a novel garnish molding co-nstruction in inner and outer sheetmetal stampings. A plane l: which the complete garnish molding is formed section of the'inner door panel is separated there- 15 in separate parts with the lower part serving to from adjacent the upper edge of this panel and retain the inner trim panel in position. the top edge of the panel is then shaped todeiine A further object of the present invention is to the ledge of the window opening, The plane sec- DYOVde a ClOOl @OnStIUCtiOn 0f independent 1191361 tion which has been removed is elongated and 2" and lower portions in which the upper portion is shaped to form a portion of a garnish molding' 2o formed of a generally U-shaped rolled element, complementary in Shape to the ledge of the which has a section severed therefrom to form window opening, thereby effecting a substantiall a. DOYtOn 0f the lgarnish molding, and in Wllh saving in material 'which would otherwise be the lower portion has a section thereof severed wasted. This section of the garnish molding is 'Z5 therefrom to form the `remaining portion of the reati-,ached to the inner panel and Serves. to 25 garnish molding thereby providing a simplified Secure thek doorrtrimI panel in place. construction as well as eiecting a Saving in 0D- Also, according to the present invention the eration and material. upper door portion is -in the form of an inverted Other objects of the invention will become ap- U of foiled Section which forms the upper Sides 1'2" parent from the' following Speoioaton. the and top of the door and denes the Ywindow openso drawings relating thereto, and from the Claims ing. According to one embodiment, the rolled hereinafter Set Olth. section is rst formed with a reveal portion and In the drawings, in which like numerals are an integral inner portion having a glass run used to designate like parts in the several views channel therebetween The integral inner porthroughout: l tion is of greater depth than the reveal portion 35 Figure 1 S a parted, DGISPBCV@ View 0f a Veand is severed from the rolled section to provide hicle door. embodying features of the' present inthe upper section of a garnish' molding. This VentOn; severed portion is butt Welded, or otherwise at-` Fig. 2 is a fragmentary Cross-Sectional View taoned to the lower section of garnish molding .1n taken Substantially along the line 2-2 0f Fig 1; mentioned above, to provide the complete gar- 40 Fig. 3 is a fragmentary CIOSSfSBCtOnal View nish molding Aaround the window. The section of taken Substantially alOnr the line 31-3 0f Fgl; garnish molding severed fromthe rolled section Fig. 4 iS a fragmentary ClOSS-SCCtOnal View is thereafter reattached to the rolled section in taken SubStantally along the line 4 4 0f Fig. l; overlapping relation to the edge from which thel .i5 Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective View of the garnish molding was severed. 45' structure illustrated in Fig. l showing the various Referring to the drawings, and referring .more y elements of the structure in their various stages particularly to Figs. 1 to 5 thereof, a vehicle door of fabrication; is illustrated including an outer panel lil which Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. l illustrating a extends from the bottom l2 of the Window open- 5o, modified embodiment of the present invention; ing to the bottom of the door, and an inner panel 50 and I4 which also extends from the bottom l2 of the Fig. 7 is a fragmentary cross-sectional View window opening to the bottom of the door. The taken substantially along the line 1-1 of Fig. 6. inner and outer panels are sheet metal stamp- In general, the structure of the present invenings; and the inner panel Mis preferably formed 55 tion krelates generally to the type of door illusto provide a jamb face portion I6 extending 55' for permanently securing the mating sections I Il y and I4 together. The outer stamping I0 is pre` formed to provide the bottom or lower ledge I2 V- of the window opening formed from a suitable integral molding 20 which extends inwardly from the general plane of the outer panel 20 substantially to the plane of the window opening. The inner marginal edge of the molding 20 is bent downwardly to lie substantially in the plane of the window opening, thus providing a ange 22 which serves to support and guide the window glass.

In forming the inner panel I4, the top edge of the panel was originally straight and a section 24 of the shape indicated by the broken lines in Fig. 5 was removed during the shearing operation leaving a recess in the upper edge of the panel I4 which is stamped to form a curved portion 26 similar to the curved portion 20 in the outer panel Ill. The marginal edge 28, which is complementary in shape to the sides and lower marginal edges of the removed section 24, is then bent to lie substantially in the plane of the window opening thus providing a flange 3U which serves to support and guide the window glass.

The removed section 24 is thenelongated and formed to the shape indicated at 32 in Fig. 5 and thereafter the member 32 is stamped to provide thelower section of a garnish molding 34, also indicated in Fig. 5. It is thus seen that the garnish molding section 34 is formed from the removed section 24 thereby further effecting a substantial saving in material.

In final form the upwardly projecting corners of the inner and outer panels I0 and I4 extend a slight distance above thelower ledge of the window opening. The top member generally indicated at 40, which forms the sides and top of the door around the window opening, is in the shape of an inverted U and is formed from a single piece of sheet metal either rolled. or stamped, or both. The cross-sectional configuration of this top member conforms in general to the cross-sectional configuration of the inner and outer panel members at the points of juncture when assembled, so that the upper member appears to -be formed, around the window opening, of the same piece of metal as the inner and. outer lower panel members. In cross-sectional shape, the upper member 40 has a reveal portion 42 and an inner curved portion 44 having a glass run channel 4E therebetween. The portion 44 is of greater depth than the reveal portion 42 and is severed from the member 4Il along the dotted line indicated at 48 (Fig. 5) to provide thesevered section indicated at 50. The'section 50 is thereafter stamped to provide the upper portion of the garnish molding indicated at '52 in Fig. 5.

The upper section of garnish molding 52 and the lower section of garnish molding 34 are thereafter placed in abutting relationship and welded Ytogether as indicated at 60 in Fig. 4 to form a complete garnish molding of the size A,suitable screws 64.

inner panel I4.

and shape of the window opening. The parts are then assembled to complete the door, the rolled member 40 is placed in position above the box section formed by the inner and outer panel members I4 and I0, respectively, and butt welded or otherwise secured thereto. The garnish molding formed by the members 34 and 52 is then positioned and removably secured to the inner panel member I4 and the rolled member 40 by The portion of the garnish molding 52 is placed in overlapping relationship to the remaining section of the inner curve portio-n 44 'of the rolled strip 40, as vbest indicated in Fig. 2, and is secured thereto by screws 64 lwhichengage the recessed bosses 66 formed in the member 40 at `spaced intervals therearound. The portion of the garnish molding 34 is attached by similar screws to the curve portion 26 on the The garnish molding serves to secure the inner door trim panel 68 in position along the upper edge thereof.

To close the space between the outer and inner panels vIIl and I4, at the juncture ofthe rolled section 40 and to add further strength thereto,- I have secured a member 'I0 at each side of the door. The member 'I0 has a forked inwardly projecting portion 'I2 which is of the contour of the inner section of the member 40 spanning the sides of the glass run channel 46 and Aengaging theinner sides of the member 40. The members 'I0 are then vwelded or otherwise secured to the member 40 and the panels I0 and I4.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7, the outer panel I0 and inner panel I4 and the lower sectionof garnish. molding 34 areformed as in the embodiment pre-viously described. The rolled member 40 in this embodiment is formed to have the upper section of garnish molding 52 vintegral therewith. That is, the portion 44 previously described .is not severed from the mem. ber 40 as in thev embodiment previously described but is completely formed into the upper garnish molding section 52. The member 40 is inwardly offset as indicated at 80 in Fig. 7, to receive the lower garnish molding section. 34 which will lie substantially in the plane of the upper garnish molding portion of the member 4I] when the parts are in their assembled positions. In this cmbodiment, the garnish molding section 34 is removably attached to the inner panel I4 -ancl serves to support the upper edge of the door trim panel 68 in position on the inner face of the door. A structure is thereby provided in which a portion only of the garnish molding is removable which removable portion serves to support the door trim panel. Thus in assembly, the door may be completed with the exception of the lower garnish molding section. 34 which may be attached in position after the door trim panel has been applied` to the door and when in its attached position serves to retain the upper edge of the trim panel in place.

In both embodiments of the invention 'described, the window glass which is relatively narrow in depth may be inserted by moving the glass through a substantially 90 angle from` its normal position, projecting the lower end thereof through the open slot between the i'langes 22 and 30, and nally turning they glass within the slot to? its normal position. The glass may then be engaged by the usual elevating mechanism (not shown). n

Formal changes may be made in the specic embodiments of the invention described Without departing from the spirit and substance of the invention, the scope of which is commensurate with the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. In a method of forming a vehicle door construction, the steps which consist of forming a sheet of metal to provide a door panel, severing a substantially plane section therefrom to provide the lower portion of a window opening in said panel, shaping said severed section to form the lower portion vof a garnish molding, and thereafter attaching said portion of the garnish molding in position on said door panel.

2. In a method of forming a vehicle door construction, the steps which consist of preforming a generally U-shap'ed member having a reveal portion, an inner curved portion and a glass run channel therebetween, severing the inner curved portion from said member, thereafter shaping said severed portion to form a portion of a garnish molding, and thereafter attaching said por# tion of the garnish molding in overlapping relationship along the severed edge of said U-shaped` member.

3. In a method of forming a vehicle door construction, the steps which consist of forming a sheet of metal to provide a door panel, severing a substantially plane section. therefrom to provide the lower portion of a window opening in said panel, shaping said severed section to form the lower portion of a garnish molding, forming a generally U-shaped member having a reveal portion, an inner curved portion and a glass run channel therebetween, severing said inner curve portion fromsaid -U-shaped member, shaping said last named severed portion to form the upper portion of a garnish molding, attachingsaid 'last named shaped portion to said first named shaped severed section to form a complete garnish 'molding and thereafter attaching said comp-lete garnish molding to said door panel and to said U-shaped member.

4. In a method of forminga vehicle door construction, the steps which consist of forming a sheet of metal into a generally U-shaped member having a reveal portion, an inner curve portion, a glass run channel therebetween, said inner curve portion being of greater depth than the depth of the reveal portion, thereafter severing said inner curve portion from said member, shaping said severed portion to form a portion of a garnish molding, and thereafter attaching said portion of the garnish molding in position on said member is overlapping relationship to the edge of said member along which said portion was severed.

5. Ina method of forming a vehicle door contstruotion, the steps which consist of severing a 

